Monthly Archives: June 2015

As we mourn the end of Season 5 of “Game of Thrones”, we can’t help but call out for the show’s truest badass: Daenerys Targaryen. Daeny (we’re on a first name, natch) is obviously a fictional character; I mean, while my kids do act like dragons from time to time, it is impossible to actually give birth to them as Daeny did at the beginning of the series.

Yep, she sure did. And she raised those dragons, too. Talk about parenting envy!

Daeny has also walked through fire, eaten a horse’s heart, freed an entire slave army and now rules a country she invaded with the help of her loyal soldiers. Oh, and she’s also fighting off assassination attempts 24/7, while wearing some of the coolest dresses we’ve seen on TV in a while. In sum, Daeny is awesome.

If Daeny lived in present day, I have no doubt she’d be running a very large non-profit organization that helps disenfranchised people. And she’d do at least five triathlons a year, while raising her dragons. And we’d love her for it.

So go on, gals. Throw on a HEUCY Goddess dress and start your day thinking, I can conquer this day. No matter what the week ahead throws at me, it can’t be more difficult than what Daeny puts up with all of the time. Here are a few of our girl’s best quotes from the show, to get you through the plight of pre-holiday madness:

“I will take what is mine with fire and blood.” (Real life scenario: you’re eyeing the only seat on the subway during rush hour…and/or your vying for a promotion…and/or there is one piece of sushi left on the table and you’re determined to have it.)

Barristan Selmy: “The Yunkish are a proud people; they will not bend.”
Daeny: “And what happens to things that don’t bend?” (Real life scenario: you’re having an especially painful customer service moment and/or you’re still on the subway.)

“The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands.” (Real life scenario: you are being yelled at by a traffic cop…or someone else.)

Happy Tuesday, gals! We haven’t gone rogue, don’t worry…we’ve been working on a very cool collaboration with Gilt which you’ll be hearing more about very soon. In the meantime, back to the blog.

To celebrate the success of our Nordic Spring collection as well as the recent royal Swedish wedding (and because we all love us some Scandy culture), here is our “best of the best” Swedish travel guide. Now is the time to go, if you have the inclination and the freedom to do so! If not, watch a few episodes of “Wallander” on demand and start planning your getaway when the time is right.

First stop, Stockholm. The food here is pretty top-notch, especially if you love seafood. If not, no worries, there are plenty of local delicacies you’ll want to try. A few of our favorite restaurants:

–Smorgasbord at The Grand Hotel

–The Ostermalm market

There are very cool stalls selling all sorts of delicious treats, and there’s a wonderful place to eat called Lisa Elmqvist. Great for lunch. Sit at the bar if you can and people watch.

—Erik Bakfickan is also a tried and true Swedish “must”

–Wendholms Fisk – a fancier option, but definitely worth the splurge.

Getting your culture on…

If you want to walk off your toast skagen, take a stroll through Gamla Stan, a very quaint, scenic part of Stockholm that dates back to the 13th century. Very cute cafes and shops line the narrow, cobblestone streets.

The Swedish Modern Museum (Moderna Museet) should not be missed. You’ll see one of the finest collections of 20th and 21st century art as well as compelling views of the archipelago right outside.

The Swedish Architecture and Design Museum is one of the best places to learn about Swedish design from the 19th century up to present day. The mid-century modern design collection is really impressive, and it can be a bit overwhelming…but definitely worth taking a tour.

Day trips, and beyond…

We highly recommend visiting the areas around Stockholm, since the incredibly stunning natural beauty of the areas around Stockholm was a big inspiration for HEUCY’s Nordic Spring collection.

Close by Stockholm, you’ll find the archipelago in Lake Malaren which leads to the Baltic Sea. Picturesque towns including Uppsala and Sigtuna are close enough to Stockholm to travel by boat for the day, or do a quick overnight trip.

If you want to venture further away from Stockholm, you should put the province of Dalarna, northwest of Stockholm (about 2-3 h drive or train ride), on your agenda. Pretty towns like Mora and Leksand on Lake Siljan are absolutely worth seeing if you have the time. People ski race in this area during the winter.

You can also reach the big island of Gotland by ferry from South of Stockholm (Nynashamn). Make sure to see Visby, the main town with a medieval wall all around it (bonus: it’s on the UNESCO world heritage list).

Smaland is famous for its remarkable blown glass, made in the towns of Orrefors and Kosta. From there, the medieval town and castle of Kalmar isn’t far away, and you can take a bridge over to Oland for more sightseeing.

You’ll find a Viking-era reconstructed settlement at Eketorp in the South, and the famous light house Lange Jan at the souther tip. You can see the light (and sometimes also the light house itself) from the island of Langoren in the midsummer months. You’ll also see a lot of Swedes outdoors during this time, soaking up that Vitamin D before the cold weather returns!

What are you waiting for, gals? If you can, get out of the office, pack some HEUCY nautical stripes in your bag, and head over to Sweden ASAP to experience Nordic Spring and Summer in full effect! (I think that’s what Claudia is smiling about right now…her next trip 🙂